Health News and Information

The concept of health advocates goes beyond translation in a professional sense. The advocates are trained in specific areas of health-related issues as well as interpretation so that they can amplify the clinician’s information and make it culturally more relevant where appropriate.

Most of the time we find ourselves using limited English and a mixture of sign language and suggestive mannerisms to bridge the gap. This is expedient and can serve well enough for straightforward transactions. The danger is that practitioners become too accustomed to working in this way, and they withhold better services from their patients. It requires a conscious effort to halt a consultation in order to set it up again with more language resources, and one also needs to explain and negotiate with patients so as to get their agreement. The imprisoning and prejudicial effect of the lack of verbal communication is illustrated by the astonishing change that can take place when a translator is brought in. As a patient is transformed from a silent marginal character into an animated participant talking at length, the doctor may find him- or herself behaving towards her in a truly dignified way for the first time. If one is consistently using a substandard method of communication with one’s patients, it is likely that one will develop a patronising attitude towards them. Doctors need to work to gain the ability to use a range of methods with flexibility, keeping alert for the moment when it is necessary to acknowledge that there are difficulties and a need to arrange for help.

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